Court extends police custody of two al-Qaeda operatives by two days
New Delhi: Two suspected operatives of al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), arrested for allegedly radicalising youth for terror activities, were today remanded to police custody for two days by a Delhi court.
The two accused, Maulana Mohammad Abdul Rahman and Mohamad Asif, were produced before Additional Sessions Judge Reetesh Singh on expiry of their police remand and the Special Cell of Delhi Police sought extension of their custody saying they were needed for further interrogation.
The police told the court that the accused were needed to be quizzed further for unearthing the entire conspiracy of AQIS and to ascertain the identity of their associates.
The court extended police remand of Rahman and Asif by two more days.
It also sent arrested co-accused Zafar Masood to two weeks judicial custody after the police said he was not needed for further interrogation. Masood was produced before court after expiry of his police remand.
According to the police, Rahman ran a madrassa in Uttar Pradesh where several students were enrolled and he was allegedly trying to radicalise them for terror activities.
It claimed that Masood was propagating the terror agenda of AQIS among the youth and trying to attract them towards the terror outfit.
While Asif (41), was held from Seelampur in north-east Delhi, Rahman (37) was arrested from Jagatpur area of Cuttack in Odisha, police had said.
They have been booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
According to the special cell, Rahman is suspected to have international links in countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Dubai.